Condenser



Nov. 19, 1940- D. w. R. MORGAN 2 222,439

CONDENSER Filed Dec. 1, 1936 File 1.

Flea.

' -INVENTOR DHQIDW. RMmaam. BY am g, M

ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE Myinvention relates to steam condensers and it has for an object toprovide apparatus of this character which shall assure of good steamdistribution with a relatively low pressure drop.

In marine power plants of the steam turbine type, the condenser isfrequently located below the turbine to minimize the space required foran installation; however, with this arrangement, to preserve a desiredturbine location, it is frequently necessary to employ a flat or shallowcondenser and at the same time to have as short a connection as possiblewith the exhaust of the turbine. Due to high velocity of steam enteringthe condenser tube nest and to the shallowness of the latter, it isnecessary to provide for distribution of steam to use the condensingsurface effectively and to assure of any steam passing CONDENSERPennsylvania Application December 1, 1936, Serial No. 113,544

2 Claims. (01.257-43) through the nest being condensed.

Accordingly, a further object of my invention is to provide for anarrangement of battles which assure not only of good distribution ofsteam throughout the condenser but also of the condensation of any steampassing through the nest with efiective devaporization and cooling ofthe air-vapor mixture before the latter leaves the air outlet.

shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken along the line III-III ofFig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV Of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the condenser shell [0 isprovided with an inlet II for connection to the exhaust of a turbine,the inlet H extending substantially for the full length of the shell andbeing relatively wide to promote easy entrance and good distribution ofsteam. The condenser is provided with a condensate outlet l2 and an airoutlet l3.

As shown, the shell I0 is relatively wide and shallow and it has thereina relatively wide and shallow nest of tubes l4 whose ends are attachedto the tube plates l5. One or more intermediate tube supporting sheetsI6 have the tubes passing therethrough. Inlet and outlet water boxes I?and I8 are attached to opposite ends of the shell.

The tubes 14 of the nest are divided both longitudinally andtransversely with provisions for flow so that, not only is the surfaceused effectively, but this is accomplished with very small pressure dropthrough the condenser. To this end, the tube nest is dividedlongitudinally by a bafile !9 into a condensing group and an air coolingand de-vaporizing group 2! and it is divided transversely by theintermediate tube supporting sheets H3 into sections 22, 23, and 24 10'including condensing sub-sections 22a, 23a, and Ma and cooling andtie-vaporizing subsections 22b, 23b, and 24b. Steam entering through theinlet it flows through the condensing sub-sections and then through aircooling and de-vapor- 16 izing sub-sections, the air-vapor mixturefinally being withdrawn from the air outlet l3.

Since the baffle is terminates with the tube nest, such that asubstantial portion of the nest is arranged below the lower edge thereofand-20 the condensing and air cooling and de-vaporizing tube groupsmerge together at the bottom of the nest, steam or steam and air mixturemay flow within the nest from the condensing group to the ole-vaporizingand cooling group, this be- 125 ing particularly true of that portion ofsteam passing among tubes within the vicinity of the baffle. Also, steamor the mixture of steam and air may pass through the nest and enter thespace 25 therebelow. The intermediate tube supporting sheets it havetongues 25a extending below the tubes for substantially the full widthof the bottom of the condenser, such tongues providing support from theshell bottom for the plates and the burden of the tube and water weightsustained thereby. The tongues define copious openings 26 therebetween,and, as the openings are also arranged for the full width of thecondenser bottom, the space 25 is free and open from side to side andfrom end to end of the condenser. Hence, steam or the mixture of steamand air entering the space 25 is free to pass therealong and therefromnot only to the cooling and de-vaporizing sub-sections but also possiblyto some of the condensing subsections particularly at the regions wherethe tube groups merge together.

The apparatus described is particularly suitable for single-passoperation in which event, the section 22 is to be at the cold end andthe section 24 at the warm end, the air outlet l3 being located at thecold end to assure of devaporization and cooling of air to the maximumextent. In a single pass condenser, the temperature difierence betweenthe steam and the ten condensing water diminishes from the cold to thewarm end with the result that the capacity for condensation of steam perunit of surface diminishes from the cold to the warm end.

Since the turbine is located relatively near the top of the nest andsince the nest is relatively wide and shallow, not only may steam passthrough one or more of the condensing sections due to the high velocityof entrance, but this result may be aided in the warmer sections becauseof the diminished condensing capacity the space 2! arranged thereaboveand extending from end-to-end of the condenser, a baflie 28 beingarranged in the space 2'I near to the cold end of the condenser andadjacent to the air outlet It to assure that the mixture of steam andair shall be forced to pass among the uppermost tubes before beingwithdrawn from the outlet l3.

Thus, it will be seen that, even though the nest is relatively shallowand steam enters at high velocity, the fact that steam may enter thespace below the nest, is a matter of no moment for the reason that thesteam or steam and air may shift and be distributed in the latter spaceand pass through the de-vaporizing and air cooling tube group asdetermined by the existing flow conditions therethroughand the air-vapormixture finally leaving the condensing and de-vaporizing sub-sections tothe common space 21 thereabove moves longitudinally of such space towardthe cold end of the condenser, it being deflected by the baffle 28 topass among the uppermosttubes before finally leaving through the airoutlet I3. In other words, the arrangement of the tube nest and theshell, the bafile l9, and the intermediate tube support sheets withtheir openings assure of distribution of steam throughout the tube nestwith eifective use of all the surface thereof and with effectivede-vaporization and cooling of the air-vapor mixture before the latterleaves the condenser, these results all being secured with relativelylow pressure drop through the condenser.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereofland I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall beplaced thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specificallyset forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a condenser, a relatively shallow and wide shell increasing indepth from one side to the other, having a steam admission opening inits top Wall extending for substantially the full length and for themajor portion of the width thereof,

. having a condensate outlet communicating with its lower portion, andhaving an air offtake communicating with its upper portion to one sideof the admission opening at the deep side of the shell; a relativelyshallow and wide nest of tubes in the shell increasing in depth from theshallow side, of the shell to the deeper side thereof,.space d from thebottom wall of the latter to provide a steam distribution spaceextending for the length and width of the shell, and extendingcontiguously to the sides of the shell to separate the distributionspace from the admission space above the nest; means for supporting thetubes of the nest including tube sheets connected to the shell ends andintermediate tube supporting plates; said tube sheets and supportingplates dividing the nest into vertical transverse sections; means forsupporting said supporting plates from the shell and providing for thelower edges of such plates defining openings with respect to the bottomwall of the shell for substantially the full width of the latter toafford free and unrestricted flow in said distribution space from sideto side and end to end of the condenser; and a baflie depending from theshell top wall between the air ofitake and the adjacent side of theadmission opening and dividing said transverse sections into down-flowportions underneath the admission opening and up-flow portionssubstantially to one side of said opening; said baflie terminatingintermediately of the depth of the nest so that the flow areas of saiddown-flow and up-fiow portions are joined at the bottom by afiow areawithin the nest, said bafi'le and the shell forming, with the uppermosttubes of the up-flow portions, an air and noncondensable gas dischargespace in communication with said offtake, and said intermediate tubesupporting sheets having their upper edges terminating adjacent to saiduppermost tubes to afford continuity of said discharge space to providefor free and uninterrupted flow of media therealong.

, 2. In a single pass condenser, a relatively shallow and wide shellincreasing in depth from one side to the other; inlet anddischarge waterboxes connected to opposite ends of the shell; said shell having a steamadmission opening in its top wall extending for substantially the fulllength and for the major portion of the width thereof, having acondensate outlet cornmunicating'with its lower portion, and having anair ofitake communicating with its upper portion to one side of theadmission opening at the deep side of the shell and adjacent to theinlet water box; a relatively shallow and wide nest of tubes in theshell increasing in depth from the shallow side of the shell to thedeeper side thereof, spaced from the bottom wall of the latter toprovide a steam distribution space extending for the length and width ofthe shell, and extending contiguously to the sides of the shell toseparate the distribution space from the admission space above the nest;means for supporting the tubes of the nest including tube sheetsconnected to the shell ends and intermediate tube supporting plates;said tube sheets and supporting plates dividing the nest into verticaltransverse sections; means for supporting said supportingplates from theshell and providing for the lower edges of such plates defining openingswith respect to the bottom wall of the shell for substantially thefullwidth of the latter to afiord free and unrestricted flow in saiddistribution space from side to side and end to end of the condenser; abaffle depending from the shell top. wall between the air ofitake andthe adjacent side of the admission opening and dividing said transversesections into down-flow portions underneath the admission opening andupflow portions substantially to one side of said opening; said baffieterminating intermediately of the depth of the nest'so that the fiowareas of said down-flow and up-fiow portions are joined affordcontinuity of said discharge space to provide for free and uninterruptedflow of media therealong; and a bafiie in said discharge space at theside of the offtake remote from the inlet water box to cause air andnon-condensable gases flowing therealong to flow among the tubes be- 5fore issuing from the offtake.

DAVID W. R. MORGAN-

